Joanna Prosser Named Vice President for Merchandising at Metropolitan Museum

Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO, and Emily K. Rafferty, President, of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, announced today that Joanna Prosser will become Vice President and General Manager, Merchandise and Retail of the Museum, effective in the late fall. She will assume responsibility for the management and merchandising of the Museum’s shops, catalogs, wholesale, and the online Met Store (www.metmuseum.org/store).

Ms. Prosser has overseen retail at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London since 2000, first as Director of Retail, and since 2004 as Managing Director of V&A Enterprises. Leading a team of 120 people, she has been responsible for all commercial activities, including retail, publishing, brand licensing, image licensing, rights and digital development.

In announcing the appointment, Mr. Campbell said, “Jo Prosser comes to the Met with impeccable credentials and vast experience in overseeing the retail operations of a major international museum. I look forward to working with her on extending and amplifying the strong merchandising legacy at the Metropolitan Museum.”

Emily Rafferty continued: “Jo will take over the reins of our merchandising operations following Brad Kauffman’s five years of distinguished leadership. Her work at the V&A has been extraordinary and we look forward to working with her in the years ahead.”

Ms. Prosser added: “The Metropolitan Museum set the international gold standard for museum merchandising: it was there I first saw what was possible. For me it is a huge privilege to be able to join a team that has led the way, and exciting to anticipate working together as we develop the next chapter.”

She began her career at the National Galleries of Scotland as a book buyer. As Retail Manager, she went on to introduce the concept of special exhibition shops, established a product development program, and introduced mail order. She then worked for the Historical Collections Group and created the Art Room mail order program and store (1994-99).

A graduate of the University of Edinburgh with an M.A. in History of Art and English Literature, she received a post-graduate diploma in Art Gallery and Museum Studies from the University of Manchester. She serves as a non-executive Director on the Board of the Courtauld Institute’s trading company.